Exploring relationships between gender and collective action in artisanal fisher associations of Central Chile

Artisanal fisher associations have experienced a shift towards gender inclusivity over the past decade. We used the social-ecological systems framework developed by Elinor Ostrom to explore relationships between gender and collective action. Questionnaires were used to determine (1) motivations to join an association, (2) socio-demographic information, (3) perceptions on key collective action dimensions around leadership and norms within the association, and (4) perceived social performance. Surveys targeted artisanal fisher associations in Chile with varying gender compositions: exclusively male members, exclusively female members, mixed-gender led by a man, and mixed-gender led by a woman. Our results show that women and men have distinct motivations to join an association. Women are primarily motivated by a sense of belonging, while men are mainly motivated by the possibility of an increase in income. Furthermore, associations comprised of women displayed higher valuations on leadership, entrepreneurship, and participation in activities. This likely led to the significantly higher performance of associations that incorporated women (either women-only or mixed gender) in efficiency (30.1%–40.3% higher) and cooperation (13.8%–30.8% higher). Our results extend the social-ecological systems framework towards understanding the role of gender in collective action for fisheries management and specifically contribute to build knowledge and implement novel policy which considers gender in artisanal fisheries in Chile.